Strategies to Prevent S. aureus BSIs in Acute Care Facilities | CDC

Strategies to Prevent S. aureus BSIs in Acute Care Facilities | CDC

3. IMPLEMENT INTERVENTIONS TO PREVENT TRANSMISSION OF METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS (MRSA) IN ACUTE CARE

• Core Strategies
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to recommend placing patients colonized or infected with MRSA in private rooms and on Contact Precautions in inpatient acute care settings
  • Use dedicated patient-care equipment (e.g. blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes), and single use disposable items (e.g. single patient digital thermometer) whenever possible
  • If common use of equipment for multiple patients is unavoidable, clean and disinfect such equipment before use on another patient
  • Provide regular competency-based training on use of PPE and monitor adherence
  • Place patients with excessive wound drainage (i.e. suggests an increased potential for extensive environmental contamination and risk of transmission) on Contact Precautions and in a private room regardless of Multi-drug resistant organisms (MDRO) carriage status
• Supplemental Strategy
  • Consider active surveillance testing (screening) for MRSA on admission to acute care facilities. Screening could be limited to high risk patients (e.g., prior healthcare exposure) or admission to high risk settings (e.g., intensive care unit)
    • Those found to be colonized with MRSA should be placed in private rooms and on Contact Precautions
    • Active surveillance testing could be combined with source control strategies as described above for high risk patients (i.e. ICU patients and those outside the ICU with CVCs or Midline Catheters)